Resources for tenants

Safety risks

Call 911 if:
– lives are in danger;
– an exterior wall or balcony is at risk of collapsing;
– a fire could break out.

Making a complaint

Send a demand letter to the landlord

Fill out an application with the Tribunal administratif du logement

The City of Côte Saint‑Luc intervenes in matters related to problems in rental housing, such as those covered by By‑law 2595 on the sanitation and maintenance of dwelling units (PDF). For example, without limitation:

sanitation issues, such as the presence of mold, vermin, bedbugs, the accumulation of waste, or any condition that may harm the health or safety of occupants;
poor building maintenance, including water infiltration, excessive humidity, deterioration of structural elements, walls, floors, windows, or roofs;
proper functioning of essential equipment, such as heating, plumbing, drinking water supply, lighting, and ventilation;
compliance with minimum standards for floor area, natural lighting, ventilation, and space configuration;
safety‑related conditions, including locking mechanisms, emergency exits, and maintenance of common areas.

Before any intervention by the City, certain preliminary steps must be completed. If these steps are not followed, no inspection can be carried out.

First, the tenant must send the landlord a written certified letter (see writing guide below), giving them a reasonable period — generally ten (10) days — to correct the situation or propose an action plan.
If, at the end of this period, no response is received or the problem persists, the tenant must then complete the required form below and attach the following mandatory documents:
- a copy of the certified letter sent to the landlord, confirming that notice was given with a ten (10)‑day deadline to resolve the issue or propose an action plan;
- proof of delivery of this letter.

If the City does not receive all of these documents, it will be unable to proceed with an inspection.

Prepare your dwelling

Empty all cupboards (top and bottom) in the kitchen and bathroom.
Clean all greasy surfaces (Stove, walls, range hood, cupboards, counter, etc.)
Empty your garbage cans and your recycling bin as often as possible. These attract food for cockroaches. And throw them away immediately.

Other advice

Wipe the kitchen counters and the table (or any other place where you eat), after each meal.
Do not leave dirty dishes lying around.
Wipe off excess water that may accumulate near the sinks.
Ventilate the dwelling regularly to reduce humidity.
Place all food in closed containers
Do not use insecticides (homemade or in-store)
Please collaborate with the exterminator.

You must prepare your home before the arrival of the exterminator

Follow the preperation steps indicated by the exterminator

Also, please visit

Waiting period before returning to dwelling

All persons and pets must evacuate the residence during extermination. After extermination, you must wait at least 6 hours before returning home.

This period of time increases to 12 hours for:

This period of time increases to 24 hours for: